Eden Baylee Says...

Q) Who makes some of those racy covers? Do you get a say about them?!

Yes, I had 100% say in my cover, so it certainly fits the tone of my book. I am self-published, so I designed the cover with my husband who does media design for a living.

As my book is a collection of four novellas, I couldn't just highlight a particular story with the cover since each story is very unique. Instead I took the title and played on it. Two stories take place in the fall, and two in the winter, so I chose images that represented the seasons. Next, I had to incorporate the erotic nature of my stories into the cover. For that, I chose a picture of a female's curvy back. From there, my husband created the layout. I love the symmetry of her body with the snowdrifts. The autumn leaves falling is a play on words with the "fall" season, and is meant to be whimsical, creating an illusion of movement.

Because the title is poetic and a metaphor for the stories themselves, I wanted the book cover to convey subtle sensuality. I’m not a fan of blatant covers—I like some mystery. The fact that several people have told me they didn't even realize it was a woman's body until they looked more closely shows me that I’ve accomplished my goal for the cover.

-Eden Baylee

EXCITING, EXOTIC, EXTREMELY EROTIC

www.edenbaylee.com

Stacey Espino says....

Before we get to the next Reader Question, I have some exciting news to share! My publisher, Loose Id, just offered me an acceptance letter for the sequel to "Spirals" titled "Kismet"! I'm very happy to be bringing Evie's unique story to life.

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And now, a great question answered by an equally great author! She is the best selling author of such books as "Saving Grace", "Fearless Desires" and "Cowboy Domination"!


Q) How did you come up with your steamy ideas? Do you do ‘real’ research?

Answer:

I have a very active imagination and put my ideas and fantasies to work when it comes to sex scenes. I like to keep things varied and exciting while adding an emotional element. As for personal research, I don't participate in menages or BDSM, but I'm in a happy, healthy marriage which can be helpful in my writing.


-Stacey Espino

http://www.staceyespino.com/

Contact: http://www.staceyespino.com/

Movie Monday - Boys Before Flowers

So this isn't exactly a movie, but the show is so good that I just had to blog about it! I am a sucker for Asian romantic dramas. So I recently was able to see a 26 episode Korean series called “Boys Before Flowers”, based on a Japanese Manga, on Hulu.com. There have actually been a Japanese and a Taiwanese version of the same story...and yes, I've seen them too. And while those shows had their own charm, I really liked the actors attached to this version. They really seemed to fit their parts.

With superb sets, great acting, and lots of eye candy, this show was like chocolate cake for me!

The first episode starts with a girl, of course. When delivering a Shinhwa student's dry cleaning, Jan Di saves the life of her customer from committing suicide, who was a heavily bullied student at the most prestigious school in South Korea, Shinhwa Academy. Her actions soon became public and exposed the harsh bullying within the school, therefore enraging the public. To end the outrage of the public, Jan Di is offered a swimming scholarship to Shinhwa High School which she declines but her family forces her to attend.

During her first day at Shinhwa, Jan Di learns of the famous F4 and of the other students' adoration and fixation of/on the boys in the group. Gu Jun Pyo, Yoon Ji Hoo, So Yi Jeong, and Song Woo Bin are the richest and most powerful kids within Shinhwa and South Korea. Subsequently, they use their power to terrorize the weaker students or those they do not like. Jan Di, instead of being impressed, becomes enraged and fantasizes about confronting Gu Jun Pyo, the leader and initiator of many of the bullying acts. She gains courage to confront him when a friend accidentally drops ice cream on his shoes and he demands her to lick it off. Jan Di defends her friend and attempts to reason with Jun Pyo's tyrannical demand. He refuses to relent and demands her to lick it herself. Feigning licking it, she bends down but shoves her own ice cream in his face. Enraged by this, Gu Jun Pyo declares war on Jan Di and encourages the other students to bully her, by putting a Red Card in her locker. Jan Di however, is resistant, refusing to apologize to Gu Jun Pyo, and stands by her decision to fight him.

Through the episodes, Gu Jun Pyo falls in love with Jan Di, and thus their rocky romance begins as he and his friends transform from spoilt rich boys into men with hearts. Hulu.com provides the English subtitle translation and the show is easy enough to watch on laptop or computer. It’s lighthearted, fun, and overly dramatic at times, making it the perfect desert.

Rachel Leigh Says....

I want to give a big round of thanks for all my Guest Bloggers who posted with me. I learned so much from them! And thanks to all who left messages. The winner of my ebook, A Man After Midnight, is flchen1...so please email me (beth at bethdcarter dot com) so I can send you the pdf version of my story!

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This month is exciting for me because I have a fabulous line up of various questions that have been asked...and answered by authors! Up first to answer is Rachel Leigh, a fabulous erotica author whose first book, published through The Wild Rose Press, is set amid the English countryside.

BLURB: Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile. Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…


British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to startled his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masturbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss outward bound train and stay with him forever…


Q) Do you get ever feel embarrassed when you write erotica?!


Never! Is that bad? I love writing erotica, it gives me a fabulous sense of escapism and power. Why not enjoy it? The aim is that if I get turned on, so will my writers. There is nothing to get embarrassed about…all healthy relationships should have a good element of sex in them. Experimentation and spice is what adds up to a damn hot recipe after all!

Rachel

www.rachelleigh.co.uk
www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Leigh/266044849655

Book Trailers

There are a slew of book trailers out there on Youtube; some great, some made by fans, and some are so professionally done they leave you wondering when the movie is coming out. Which leaves me wondering…are book trailers really necessary?

I just finished reading the excerpt from one of my favorite authors, Kimberly Dertling, and when finished I saw that she had a book trailer. Now, most trailers have pictures flashed up over some melodic song, a hunting ballad or love story. So when I watched “Desires of the Dead, I loved that it was live action-with actors acting out scenes and a voice over explaining a little about the main character. I was instantly hooked and wanted to search for any book trailer video I could find!

But then I thought it would make a far more interesting blog, wondering if it’s worth it to the author to make these videos, because most of us have to do it on our own. Or pay some one out of our pocket. Some authors are talented enough to do it on his or her own. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people.

So that leaves me asking, are book video trailers really worth the time and/or money sunk into them? Ebook authors promote themselves, it’s how we get our name and stories out there, but has anyone ever heard feedback from their book trailers?

And which are the best book trailers you’ve seen?

written butterfly...let romance take flight: Back in the Saddle by Lynn Crain

written butterfly...let romance take flight: Back in the Saddle by Lynn Crain: "Now many of you who don’t know me will be wondering what I’m talking about. Those of you who do wonder when I was ever out of the saddle. ..."

Back in the Saddle by Lynn Crain

Now many of you who don’t know me will be wondering what I’m talking about. Those of you who do wonder when I was ever out of the saddle.

Well…for both of you groups, I was definitely out of the saddle. What do I mean? you may ask. For me it is obvious. Quite a few years ago, I became disillusioned with life. And writing.

Not that I didn’t want to do either…no, I wanted to write and live life to the fullest. I was disillusioned with the fact that all I did was work. All I did was have a business. I never seemed to have time for any of the things that I loved. Or those that I loved.

Then 9/11 happened. I along with millions watched in horror as icons for our freedom and financial well-being were toppled in front of my eyes. To top it all off, it was my niece’s birthday. I can remember thinking, Oh hell…what a day. I can remember thinking, My god…what’s this world coming to? I can remember thinking, This changes everything.

And suddenly, I was thinking much clearer. I was thinking with the part of myself that had been shut off by business deals and bottom lines. Suddenly, I thought about what mattered most in my life: my family and my writing. I had neglected both for many months.

My husband and I no longer took those long walks. My youngest son and I only argued about homework leaving very little time for anything else. My oldest was a stranger I barely knew. One of my good friends, who I considered a sister, and I fought constantly about the business. God only knew when I had last called my brother and his family. And my latest characters at the time, Trista and Alfred, were languishing in the limbo state of barely finished with many chapters waiting for revision.

Suddenly, I found myself on the road to recovery. Recovery of my craft.

The business, which printed financial documents for a mainstay, suddenly couldn’t earn its keep and the following April it was decided to close it at the end of May. I started to reconnect with those I loved. I now try to take a walk with my husband at least once a week. I care for my youngest everyday…and he drives me crazy but I love it. I love it when my oldest comes in to tell me about his latest accomplishment. Currently, they are his two new sons! My friend and I planned critique sessions.

Trista and Alfred are also on the road to recovery. Along with them, I write at least one article, possibly one poem, come up with some ideas and plan for my next full day, or week if it’s Sunday, of writing. I’m going to write for a living…even though I may need an outside job to keep the hubby happy and pay for my share of the bills. (As of this update, this has come to pass and I can say I’m happier than ever...woohoo!)

This time I will make it…I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Now having said all that, here are some tips to keep the writing muse alive. Because, even with all I’ve been through, the muse never left me.


1. Writing doesn’t take as much time as you think.

All you need is to give it a little portion of each day. Are there times when you are waiting for something? Like a doctor’s appointment? Your kids? Is there a television show you can live without? If you answer yes to any of these questions, writing can be part of your daily routine. Write things down in a journal, then transcribe them when you used to watch that TV show.

2. Look at the markets weekly.

The markets change daily. This is because of the Internet. Today, writers have more opportunities than ever before. Exploring those markets will usually kick start an idea which will then lead to you finding more time to write. I personally get up each morning and head for my computer. Once I’ve waded through the junk mail, I start looking for new and interesting markets for my work.

3. Make a weekly plan.

I say weekly plan, because life can be so uncertain any more. I tend to plan my life at least 6 months out but for writing I do it weekly and sometimes even daily when I have a deadline. I start on Sunday evening looking at all the guidelines I printed during the week. I then check to see if I’ve written anything that will fit the guidelines. If I don’t have anything, I ask myself if I want to write it. If I do, I put it in the weekly calendar. I plan to have the article done that same day. I then put it down for revision the next day and submission the day after that.

While this may seem ambitious, it’s the only way that I can keep focused and on track. Otherwise, I tend to never get anything done.

4. Read.

I try to read something new everyday. With the Internet, you can read articles and reviews or just about anything. I reserve my evenings for my pleasure reading or study.

5. Research.

I have certain things that interest me…such as medieval medicine. I have always been fascinated with how today’s medical system works in relation to how it really started. Because of that I am constantly reading on this subject. It gives me get ideas for some stories as well a good read about something I thoroughly enjoy.

6. Networking.

Like attracts like. I cannot stress this enough. We are what we eat and whom we hang out with. Laugh you may but it is true. By this I mean, if you truly want to be a writer you will need to network with other writers. This can be done through meetings or conferences, both formal and informal. If you want to write…hang out with writers. Strive to do…not just be a wannabe.

7. Write.Write.Write.

Remember to write, write, write. It’s what makes you a writer.


Hopefully, I’ve given you some bits of wisdom that you can use in your writing life. Life is what life is…we can’t always change it, but we can shape what comes our way. We can make things happen…positive things. And like the old saying goes, it has to start with you. You have to make the changes, you have to want to write, and you have to do it.

And for this woman…I’m back in the saddle again. Permanently.

Anybody got any bag balm?

-Lynn

Website: www.lynncrain.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/oddlynn3
Blog: http://lynncrain.blogspot.com
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XtraOrdinaryRomance
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oddlynn3